My master coming in found me asleep, and not knowing of my loathsome
disaster, was in a passion, and fell a-tugging me by the hair so
furiously, that had I not waked immediately he had made me bald before
my time. I started up, crying out and complaining, and he still more
passionate, said, "This is a fine way of serving me, Pablo; 'tis a new
way of life." This went to my heart, and I answered, "You are a great
comfort to me, Sir, in my afflictions; do but see what a condition that
cloak and cassock are in, which have served for handkerchiefs to the
filthiest noses that ever poisoned clean linen." This said, I fell
a-weeping; which he perceiving, believed me, looked for the cassock, and
seeing it, took pity on me, and said, "Pablo, be on your guard, and take
care of yourself, for you have no father or mother to take your part
here." I told him all that had befallen me, and he ordered me to strip
and go to my chamber, where four servants of the other lodgers in the
house lay. I went to bed and slept, and being refreshed with that and a
good supper, I found myself as well as if nothing had happened to me.
But when misfortunes begin to fall, there is such a series of them
linked together, as if they would never have an end. The other servants
came to bed, who all saluted and asked me, "Whether I was sick, and what
made me so soon a-bed?" I told them the whole story; and immediately, as
if they had been innocence itself, they began to cross themselves, and
said, "Was there ever such wickedness acted? This would not be tolerated
among infidels." Another cried, "The proctors are in the fault, that
they do not take care to prevent it. Shall you know them again?" I
answered, I should not, and thanked them for the kindness they seemed to
show me. This discourse lasted till they stripped, went to bed, put out
the candle, and I fell asleep, as if I had been with my mother and
brothers. It was about twelve of the clock, I believe, when one of them
waked me, roaring out in a dismal manner, "Help, help; they kill me;
thieves!" At the same time there was a noise in his bed of voices and
lashes. I held up my head, and said, "What is the matter there?" As soon
as ever I uncovered myself, they laid on to my back with a rope made
into a cat-o'-nine-tails. I cried out, and would have got up; the other
complained as much as I, but it was me only they flogged. I called out
for help in God's name, but the lashes fell so thick upon me, they
having pulled all the clothes off me, that I had no other refuge but
to creep under the bed. I did so, and immediately the other three, who
seemed to be sleeping, began all to roar out, and I hearing the lashes
still, concluded that some stranger scourged us all. In the meanwhile
the hell-hound that was next me, skipped into my bed. This done the
lashes ceased, and all four of them got up, crying out again, "It is a
great villainy, and not to be endured." Still I lay under my bed,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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